Ezekiel, Chapter 14, 9: And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet,
Do you believe this verse from the Bible?
Yes or no?
The Bible is the word of God as it is written:
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Thus the Scripture you have quoted is true. Remembering that God does not contradict himself or do anything that is against his character.
Eze 14:9 And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
Is God saying that He lied to this prophet or rather his actions enabled this prophet to be deceived? In other words Gods actions effect our actions.
It cannot be that God lied as it is written:
Tit_1:2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before times eternal;
and again:
Heb_6:18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us:
So we have established by Gods own word that God cannot lie, even that it is impossible for Him to lie. so then how do we understand the scripture that you have posted?
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
Those who do not receive a love for the truth God sends a delusion so that they will believe a lie. here we see that God dose allow and send strong delusions because they have chosen a lie.
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
here again Paul speaks of the same Idea:
Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Rom 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
God gave them up because they chose sin over Him. so it is with the scripture you gave:
Eze 14:7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:
Eze 14:8 And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Eze 14:9 And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
Thus because Israel chose sin God left them and they believed a lie and even the Prophet who walks in sin will also believe and teach a lie. God takes ownership because by him leaving them they are deceived even more than when God was with them. Thus God punishes them.
But we can be sure God did not lie as it is impossible for Him to do so.